Mumbai report

The chaos in Mumbai has made it difficult to obtain information about the attackers. A previously unknown group claimed responsibility in a series of emails sent to news organizations. But this analyst wonders whether this group even exists because there has been a history of false claims of responsibility for terrorist attacks in India in the past. He says there are plenty of homegrown terrorist groups operating in India, but none of them have been known to be this well conducted and as large of a scale as this attack. It’s the boldness of these attackers that stand out to this analyst. He says these gunmen were not trying to protect their identities and knew they would either be dead or captured when it was all over. He says the fact that foreign nationals were targeted also suggests something of an Al Qaeda mindset behind these attacks. A White House spokesman said President Bush spoke with Indian leaders today, expressed condolences and pledged support as the Indian government works to restore order. This analyst says the alliance between India and the U.S. has strengthened in recent years. She says the attacks in Mumbai could be a setback between Pakistani-Indian relations. She says those increased tensions could be a problem for U.S. interests in the region. The relationship between India and Pakistan is in better shape than it was a few years ago, and Obama said he will try to work with both countries to address terrorism in that region.